Cave In
by Shell-Shocked-NinjaTurtleGal
Summary: Star Wars Rebels verse! Ezra knew he shouldn't have snuck off, but the tunnels looked so interesting! Now he was trapped under a boulder, leg broken, a fever setting in after hours in the cold, damp caves. Desperate for help, he reaches out through the force, hoping that Kanan will sense him. But will it work? Can his master and friend sense him from so far away?


**Hello! So, here's my next Star Wars Rebels oneshot! Yay!**

**You all know the drill! Disclaimer's on my profile, and if the characters are OOC, please tell me how I can fix them!**

**Enjoy reading, and please review, fav and/or follow!**

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><p>Ezra knew it hadn't been smart to explore. He should've just stayed on the <em>Ghost<em> and entertained himself, not go looking through the caves he'd found on-world. What world were they on anyway? Blast, he wasn't even quite sure. All he really knew was he was trapped, his entire lower half pinned under a fallen boulder.

He tried (for what felt and probably was the hundredth time) to wriggle free, but his legs, before numb, screamed with pain, pulling a short cry from his lips. He quickly stopped, panting slightly and resting his forehead on the dusty ground beneath him for a moment.

How long had he been down in these dark, dreary caves, he wondered. The blood on his cut up legs had long dried, and he was hungry, thirsty and exhausted. His scratched, dirt smudged face felt feverish, and he felt extremely weak.

He had tried so hard to stop the boulder, tried to hold it off. But he had little practice when it came to lifting such large, heavy objects. He had only been able to save himself from breaking his left leg, but his right leg had snapped, though only thankfully in one place.

What could he do now? He hadn't told anyone where he was going, he'd snuck off the ship! For once, the situation seemed bleak...

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><p>Kanan leaned against the wall of the mess hall, arms folded over his chest, brow furrowed. A worried frown curled at his lips, and his gaze was locked on the floor. His eyes flashed up when the door slid open with a hiss, and Sabine entered. Kanan quickly strode forward, gripping her shoulders.<p>

"Sabine, have you seen Ezra?"

The teenager looked confusedly up at him.

"What? No, I thought he was with you."

Kanan's frown deepened as he released her shoulders, shaking his head.

"No, he isn't. Zeb hasn't seen him either."

Worry flashed through Sabine's eyes.

"Maybe he's with Hera?" She suggested. "He likes hanging around her when he can."

Kanan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I guess. But if you do see Ezra, tell me, yeah?"

The young female nodded.

"I'll keep my eyes open."

Kanan watched her leave, then sighed once more, running a hand over his head.

"Ezra...C'mon kid, where are you?"

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><p>It was cold, and dark, and for he first time in awhile, Ezra was terrified. The fever that had rested over his skin made it harder to think right, and he had already fallen unconscious twice. His throat hurt something terrible, after he had called his friends names earlier in desperation. There had, obviously been no reply.<p>

And now, dim blue eyes blinked tiredly as the teen fought to keep from passing out a third time. At least his legs were so numb that he couldn't feel much pain at all.

A soft, ragged breath passed through thin lips as Ezra tried to push himself up onto his elbows. His arms shook with the effort, but he persisted, and managed to succeed. He looked around, searching for anyway out, as he had already looked for dozens of times before. And again, he found nothing. A soft groan left him, head falling. He pressed his forehead to the cold ground, eyes slipping shut as he tried to desperately think of some sort of way to escape.

He felt the force ebb and flow through him. Despite Ezra's exhaustion and weakness, he could feel the power curl in his veins.

Then...He remembered something. Something Kanan had once told him...

_**Ezra opened his eyes, a smile on his lips as he looked over at Kanan. They had been meditating, as they always did early in the day. Ezra could feel the force pulse and bend about, could feel Kanan's presence, and farther away he could feel Zeb, Sabine and Hera. His joy caused the energy about him to jump, and Kanan gave a start, looking at him.**_

_**"Take it easy, kid." He said, giving the teen a look. "Control, remember?"**_

_**Ezra huffed, crossing his arms, rolling his eyes.**_

_**"Yeahyeahyeah, I know." He replied, turning his gaze back to the man. "But I still don't get why!"**_

_**Kanan sighed as he stood. He offered a hand to Ezra, helping the youth up.**_

_**"It's hard to explain, and I've tried to tell you, put it in a way you understand.". He then grinned. "And I think I finally found a way."**_

_**Bright blues eyes flashed up to Kanan, and the man could tell he'd piqued the teen's interest.**_

_**"Really?"**_

_**Kanan nodded.**_

_**"Yes, really. Think of the force, all of it through out the galaxy, as a pond. Now when I have a strong emotion, you don't feel it much at all, right? Think of my emotions as a pebble, causing ripples in the pond. You can feel it, though not enough to distract you, right?" Ezra nodded, and he continued. "Now, that's because while I am able to use the force, there are others who are stronger. Those stronger, who have no control,? Their emotions are likes stone, causing a splash in the pond. You can feel them, and they can be quite distracting."**_

_**"Is that what my emotions are like? Strong and distracting?" Ezra asked. Kanan gave him a look.**_

_**"I'm getting there, kid. Now, the only way to describe your emotions..." The man thought for a moment. "They're like a boulder , causing full blown waves in the 'pond'. Ezra, your strength in the force, combined with your lack of control, causes your emotions to fill the room. Those around you, force-sensitive and not, can feel those emotions as if they are their own, and not just yours."**_

_**Ezra halted, and Kanan stopped as well, looking at him. The teen was pale.**_

_**"I...I'm really that strong?"**_

_**Kanan nodded, face solemn.**_

_**"Yes. I'm guessing the others felt your joy, even though they're all spread out through the ship." The man then glanced around before gripping Ezra's shoulders. "Listen to me, Ezra. If you don't get any control, and a Sith is near, they can track you by following your emotion."**_

_**Ezra mulled over his words, gaze falling and biting his bottom lip. He then hesitantly lifted his gaze back to Kanan's face.**_

_**"Could you track me too?"**_

_**Kanan looked surprised, then chuckled.**_

_**"I should hope so, knowing your force signature like I do."**_

Ezra gasped, eyes snapping open, the bright blue orbs wide. That was it! If he projected his emotions, but all his strength behind it...Then Kanan and the others could find him!

Shifting so that his arms rested limply, cheek against the ground. His eyes drifted shut, and he took a deep breath.

'_Please, Kanan..._' He thought to himself. '_You gotta hurry..._'

And he let his emotions flow out and into the force, causing not a 'ripple', but a _tidal_ _wave_.

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><p>Kanan was talking with the others on the <em>Ghost<em>, trying to formulate a plan. No one had seen Ezra, and they all were beginning to worry tremendously.

And that's when it hit them all.

Fear. Pure and umbridled terror, washed across the room. It passed quickly for the others, who looked around in confusion, but for Kanan it lingered. His eyes widened when he realized that the feeling, the emotions, were from _Ezra_.

Quickly, Kanan focused on the teen's force signature. An image soon came to mind: a dark cave, damp and cold.

"I know where he is." Kanan stated, hurrying towards the cargo bay where his speeder was. "Come on!"

Zeb and Sabine exchanged a bewildered look, but Hera didn't even hesitate to follow. If Kanan said he knew where Ezra was, then he surely did. When She saw the others pause, unsure, she gave them an impatient look.

"Come on, you two!" She snapped. "Let's move!"

_That_ got them moving. Nothing was scarier than an angry Hera.

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><p>"This place is <em>huge<em>." Sabine murmured, awe in her voice as she and the others of carefully made their way through a system of large tunnels and caverns.

Kanan grimaced. He had to agree, and it was no wonder that curious young Ezra had snuck off to explore these caverns.

The man paused, eyes sliding shut as he searched for the fading force signature. Ezra was weak, losing strength.

'_C'mon, Ezra_.' He thought, reaching out with the force himself, hoping that his Padawan would sense him and manage to send another signal. '_I am right here, Ezra. Where are you_?'

For a moment there was nothing, making Kanan's heart sink.

Then...It came once more. Overwhelming emotions, but now hope lingered with the fear.

A smile broke across Kanan's face, and he followed his young friend's signature through the twisting and turning tunnels. He moved as fast as he could, dodging fallen boulders and ensuring he didn't trip.

Then he found a large, gaping hole in the ground. It seemed the floor had caved into a cavern bellow.

And that was where Ezra's signatures came from.

Kanan jumped down, landing in the cavern in a crouch. Straightening, he then looked around. His eyes then fell on a giant boulder in the corner.

And Ezra.

"Oh no..." Kanan whispered, worry flashing across his face.

He ran over to the teen's limp, trapped form. Falling to his knees beside him, Kanan brushed Ezra's hair away from his face, and was relieved to find electric blue eyes staring up at him tiredly. A small smile came to the youth's thin lips.

"H-Hey, Master..."

Kanan tried to smile back, but it was more of a grimace. He turned to look at the hole in the ceiling.

"I found him! Zeb, get down here! I need your help!"

"We're comin'!" Zeb called back gruffly.

Kanan looked back to Ezra, rubbing his back soothingly.

"We'll get you out, Ezra. Just hold on."

The youth simply blinked sleepily, continuing to smile at his mentor.

"I r-remembered...What y-you said, Master." He said, voice cracking in his dry throat. "H-How you said...Emotions c-could be traced..."

Kanan managed a smile this time, although very weak.

"Good, Ezra. You did _good_, Padawan."

Zeb dropped down, then helped Hera and Sabine before turning to second he saw Ezra, the Lasat ran over. While he and Kanan hurried towards the boulder that trapped their friend, Hera and Sabine quickly sat on their knees beside Ezra. Sabine was gaping, horror on her face at seeing her 'little brother' trapped and injured so. Hera was also terrified, but managed to hide it. She ran her fingers through Ezra's black, dirt coated hair and whispered soothingly to him. The teen said nothing, but leaned his head into her touch. His eyes shut, he wanted to sleep...

Sabine shook his awake (though was careful to not irritate the cuts, scrapes and bruises that littered the lean form).

"C'mon, Ez." She mumbled, tone encouraging. "Keep your eyes open. Stay awake just a little longer."

Ezra grunted in affirmation that he'd heard her, but his eyes started to shut once again. This time Hera shook him gently.

"Ezra." She said, her voice gentle, but stern. "Stay awake."

Zeb and Kanan gripped the edges of the boulder.

"On three!" Kanan barked. "One...Two...Three!"

Both lifted with all there strength, and managed to throw the boulder off to the side. The moment it had lifted from his broken leg, Ezra gave a short cry of pain, his now alert eyes burning with tears of pain. Hera and Sabine turned him over onto his back, the Twi'lek woman placing his head in her lap. She brushed strands of hair away from Ezra's eyes, but then paused when she touched his sweat-drenched face. She promptly let out a few colorful words, looking up at Kanan as the man moved over, crouching beside her.

"He's burning up!" She exclaimed, worry on her delicate features. Kanan frowned, turning to Ezra and carefully pressing his hand to the youth's cheek. His expression became concerned as well.

"He has a fever." He deduced. "We shouldn't be surprised, he's been down here for ages, twenty-six hours, at _least_."

"We need to get him back to the ship." Hera added.

Zeb approached, rubbing off the dirt on his hands.

"I can carry 'im." He supplied, a frown on his face. "We can get 'im to the ship faster tha' way."

"Agreed." Kanan said with a nod, standing. He placed a hand on Hera's shoulder when the woman hesitated.

With a glance at the man, Hera sighed. She leaned down, pressing her forehead against Ezra's fevered one, murmuring a few words in her native tongue. Kanan was a little rusty when it came to the Twi'lek language, but he was quite sure she was telling Ezra to stay strong. After a moment, she carefully moved Ezra's head off her lap and stood, shuffling away. She winced when she saw the odd angle the teen's right leg was at.

Zeb sat on his heels, grimacing at seeing the state Ezra was in up close. Electric blue eyes stared up at him, pained and tired, and it made the Lasat's heart twist painfully with sympathy.

"I'm gonna pick ya up, alrigh', kid?"

The youth nodded slightly, then winced when the bruises and scratches on neck and shoulders stung in protest.

Grimace deepening, Zeb carefully slid an arm under Ezra's back, the other going under the teen's back.

"This'll hurt, I won' lie." The Lasat said. "But it'll only hurt for a secon'."

"Okay." Ezra replied, voice soft and crackling.

Zeb took a deep breath, then stood, the teen in his arms. Another soft cry of pain left Ezra, and he curled closer to his 'big brother'.

Zeb grimaced, guilt weighting heavy on his heart.

"Come on." Kanan said quietly. "Let's go."

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><p>The entire Rebel crew was eerily silent as they waited in the mess hall for Hera to finish patching up Ezra. While Sabine sat at the large metal table, arms folded on the table, chin atop them, Zeb leaned on a wall, his usually fearsome face showing an unusually soft expression of worry. Kanan was leaning against one of the counters, hands on the edge of the cool surface. His eyes were shut, head bowed as he thought deeply.<p>

He had, at first, not paid much mind to what his young friend and student had told him in the cave. But now, in the safety of the ship, it hit him that the teen had purposely sent out his emotions in hopes of Kanan sensing him.

Pride swelled in his heart. His Padawan, altough young, was intelligent beyond his years. Even in such an awful situation, Ezra had kept a cool head, and found a way to show them the way.

The door to the mess hall slid open, and Hera entered. Sabine was immediately on her feet, while Zeb moved away from the wall, and Kanan straightened. They all were looking at the Twi'lek woman.

She smiled at them tiredly.

"He's sleeping now. I got a brace on his leg and cleaned off the cuts and scratches he got. He drank a good amount of water, and I managed to get him to eat a little, though with how nauseous he was, he couldn't have much. I also managed to get his fever down. It'll take a couple of months for his leg to heal, though."

Relief touched the faces of Kanan, Zeb and Sabine.

"Kid's gonna be th' death of us." Zeb muttered, shaking his head good-naturedly.

Kanan simply chuckled, smiling.


End file.
